Should Social Robots in Retail Manipulate Customers?

TL;DR

This paper explores the ethical considerations and behavioral strategies of social robots in retail, debating whether they should manipulate customers like salespeople or maintain honesty to foster trust.

Contribution

It provides an analysis of robot behavior in retail, offering recommendations for ethical guidelines and emphasizing the importance of honesty for trustworthiness.

Findings

Honest robots foster customer trust and loyalty.

Manipulative robots may increase short-term sales but harm reputation.

Ethical guidelines can improve robot-customer interactions.

Abstract

Against the backdrop of structural changes in the retail trade, social robots have found their way into retail stores and shopping malls in order to attract, welcome, and greet customers; to inform them, advise them, and persuade them to make a purchase. Salespeople often have a broad knowledge of their product and rely on offering competent and honest advice, whether it be on shoes, clothing, or kitchen appliances. However, some frequently use sales tricks to secure purchases. The question arises of how consulting and sales robots should "behave". Should they behave like human advisors and salespeople, i.e., occasionally manipulate customers? Or should they be more honest and reliable than us? This article tries to answer these questions. After explaining the basics, it evaluates a study in this context and gives recommendations for companies that want to use consulting and sales robots. Ultimately, fair, honest, and trustworthy robots in retail are a win-win situation for all concerned.